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Topic: The David Fincher Shuffle (Read 16483 times)

I'm too tired right now to go deep into this, but the first thing that comes to my mind is that Fincher is less and less concerned with the superfluous, so everything in his movies, every scene, every shot even, is there because it needs to, to serve narrative purposes. The only excessive 'Fincherism' I remember seeing in any of his last few movies is the boat race in The Social Network, which I remember feeling kind of show-offy and weird. Even his CGI is less and less visible.

i've entered an internal place that's firm in its revulsion against gone girl. if it feels like i'm brandishing firearms, that's not my intention no, it's like pete and godzilla -- i'm just positive my feelings are against this movie

video:

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And David Fincher? He cares about information. Unlike many filmmakers who try to avoid exposition, sometimes Fincher does nothing but. In his world, drama happens when a character learns a new piece of information.

which statement dovetails into what elpandaroyal will say --

elpandaroyal (who is providing justifiable appreciation for fincher, btw, and everyone can like what they want to like):

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Fincher is less and less concerned with the superfluous, so everything in his movies, every scene, every shot even, is there because it needs to, to serve narrative purposes

i don't believe a) that people are information, and b) that life works for narrative purposes. i don't believe that nature has a narrative. so fincher is good, with his sheer directorial craft, but what's outside his craft? life shit. simple life shit. and i think he's too busy crunching information to notice life shit

how david fincher describes his movie camera:

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It doesn't have any personality to it. It's very much like: what's happening was doomed to happen.

from his own words, this is the approximate aesthetic culture that fincher believes in and keeps me at a distance. i like people and i like art, and since people have personality i like my art to have personality too. what personality could ruin -- could ruin any damn moment -- is a story. fincher cares about the story. about the theme. about information that's historically ingrained in the idea of telling a story. and he's great at telling a story. he's great at painting numbers: it's doomed to happen if you're following the numbers. duh

i understand why people are impressed by uncluttered storytellers. i understand where desires for straight stories come from. and i hope if you have that feeling in you, you can understand that i don't have stories in my heart. i got a fucking clutter in my heart. deal with it

i've thought about gone girl a lot since i saw it, which i tend to say is the mark of a good movie. i'll give it credit for working its way into me. i think it can start conversations so people should see it. it's 2 1/2 fucking hours and i think you should receive a thank you phone call from the president of your country for seeing this movie

Watched Gone Girl. My attention was 100% on the movie, I was totally captivated and absorbed and riveted. This is good because, after a week of being in the cinema, nothing has come close to delivering a film that felt so confident in it's shot for shot, word for word, delivery.

On my way back home, I couldn't stop thinking about the film. I knew I'd seen a well directed, well acted movie. I knew the themes of the movie, intimately. Pretending to be more than you are in the beginnings of a relationship, only to be unmasked several months, years later. But as I listened to the soundtrack, I couldn't remember an image or a line, from the movie. I couldn't remember feeling an emotion other than my connection to the idea of duplicity and the adulation of what happens next. This week I've seen a lot of rote thrillers and suspense movies, that do not come close to Gone Girl's narrative execution and all round craftmanship.

And although I'm not in revulsion against the movie, I think it delivers really well on a Hitchcockian movie level. (Psycho as opposed to Vertigo) Like a lot of Fincher's work it's missing: people and it reduces the messiness and complexity of life to thematic/plot/narrative by numbers point making. Even the way the themes are expressed (as in Fight Club) feel like zeitgeisty point making.

I do like the film and I think it's really well made, but it's not where I would like to travel in my cinema. I want mistakes. Discovered moments. Theme rising into the air like gas, unseen but you know it's there, you can smell it, hell, you may even choke on it. But that's me....hell, maybe it's a story thing? Seven, felt alive to me and was bubbling with ideas and themes that went beyond the spotlight of the seven deadly sins, unspoken themes, that you felt.

I think I need to see Gone Girl again, to be able to look past the plot and the what happens nextness to see what's really going on....to see if anything is going on. I know I felt really let down by The Social Network on second viewing. But with Gone Girl, I've never been so entertained and so suspect at the same time...

I liked the movie overall, though I understand and mostly agree with what jenkins and max are saying. My expectations were relatively low — I don’t think there’s a lot to plumb in Fincher apart from the craft, but the last 20 minutes of this were a knockout, I thought, with Fincher achieving a vibe I hadn’t completely seen before. Really chilling, punctuated by ghostly, ethereal music. Gone Girl is unrelentingly, unapologetically pessimistic about relationships and people in general. I liked that Fincher took a stance, even if it made me feel a little sick to my stomach. Everyone in this thing is out for themselves, and even in the ways we see Nick and Amy connect in the beginning it’s as if Fincher is mocking their superficial attraction and “designer lifestyle". They’re people using other people as accessories in the movies of their lives, and you can feel him taking extreme, sadistic pleasure in their punishment a little further down the road.

SPOILERS?

I’ll admit I sort of hated the first hour or so, and then in what actually turned out to be the middle I thought it was ending and was like “oh no, no, no…” and then the movie really began. From that point forward I was on the edge of my seat with no idea where it would go, a feeling hard to come by especially in something as by the numbers as a thriller. This story was really the perfect material for Fincher, because in some ways the characters being cyphers helped to serve their characterization. Pure emotional moments outside of what’s needed don’t come into play, but that controlled construction feels as much a part of their personality makeup as the “mistakes” we usually see in other movies. His putting them through the ringer is like a revenge for their calculated natures beyond all the malicious things they do. They’re too busy acting like copies of Vogue and GQ and Restoration Hardware catalogs to become fully formed as people. I think that's what it was doing. I hope. If not, the faux witticisms in the first half that make up most of Nick and Amy's banter will just make me vomit upon rewatch. But I think it might be another example of a "template for life" replacing the makings of real conversation, the clever back and forth rapport you might see in a slick Hollywood romcom being substituted, and conditioned to be wanted instead of the makings of anything more personal. And this movie has its eyes on the audience just as much as the people within it.

'Gone Girl' Author Gillian Flynn Penning First Season Of David Fincher’s HBO Show 'Utopia'via The Playlist

"Gone Girl" author and screenwriter Gillian Flynn, who is also co-producing "Utopia," will get back on the keyboard to bang out scripts for the full first season of the show. " Fincher said, 'I don’t want a big writers room, I want a voice,' " the author told Buzzfeed. However, this news may not please Flynn fans who want another book, as she reveals "Utopia" will keep her away from writing what she describes as “a big, folkloric tale of American murder.”

i've entered an internal place that's firm in its revulsion against gone girl. if it feels like i'm brandishing firearms, that's not my intention no, it's like pete and godzilla -- i'm just positive my feelings are against this movie

I haven't seen Gone Girl but - if you keep supporting my unwavering hatred of Godzilla, I'll find ways to hate it too.

David Fincher's HBO Noir Is Called 'Shakedown,' His '80s Music Video Show Titled 'Living On Video'via The Playlist

David Fincher is moving away from feature-films and is diving deep into the world of prestige cable TV beyond his foray in “House Of Cards” (he remains an exec producer by title, but doesn’t have much to do with that show now). The filmmaker is also getting in deep at HBO; he’s directing every episode of their show “Utopia” which he developed with “Gone Girl” writer Gillian Flynn, and should air sometime next year, he’s developing a 1950s crime noir series with James Ellroy also at HBO called “Shakedown” (which we revealed back in September, and was just confirmed today) and he’s got other projects in the works too.

“This TV show I’m doing about music videos in the 1980s and the crew members who worked on them—they’re not Big Macs. I don’t make Big Macs," he said in a lengthy Playboy article. Today, The Wrap reveals, as you likely expected, it’s another show at HBO and it’s now has a title: “Living On Vide0.” (Update: The Wrap corrected their previous report about the title).

The trade reveals that Fincher will direct the pilot episode which would be a half-hour show about the world of making music videos in the 1980s—a milieu that Fincher was deeply entrenched in during that decade. Casting is evidently underway, but no names have been revealed. Fincher will executive produce “Living on Noise” with Cean Chaffin and Joshua Donen. The direct helmed a ton of iconic music videos back in the day and earlier this year for our own amusement we ranked all of Fincher’s music videos from best to worst.

As for “Shakedown,” it's a resurrected concept for a show Ellroy was previously developing at FX back in 2012. The project shares the same name as the author’s novella also published that same year, but it apparently bears no relation to it or the protagonist of that project Fred Otash (who has appeared in two of his other novels), according to Deadline.

EXCLUSIVE: Ben Affleck and David Fincher will re-team on a Warner Bros remake of the Hitchcock classic thriller Strangers On A Train. Gillian Flynn, who adapted her novel Gone Girl for Fincher and Affleck, is in talks to write the script. The film will be produced by Affleck under Pearl Street, the Warner Bros-based banner he runs with Matt Damon. WB’s Jon Berg is overseeing. They are calling it Strangers.

Though the Hitchcock remake–a Warner Bros library title and an adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel–will be its basis, this film will be contemporary and redefined for the times. This one might be best titled Strangers On A Plane, as Affleck will play a variation of the role played by Farley Granger of a tennis pro who is bored with his marriage and wants to get divorced, but instead gets entwined with a wealthy socialite psycho who proposes the notion of exchanging murders. The twist here is a compelling one. Affleck will play a movie star–in the middle of a campaign for an Oscar during awards season–whose private plane breaks down and is given a ride to LA on another plane by a wealthy stranger. In Fincher’s hands, who knows how that goes, but it sure does seem like fertile ground.

The idea of a remake has been kicking around for some time, with Arnold Kopelson at one point attempting it but never getting it off the ground. This is an important get for Warner Bros, and top brass is high on the project: Affleck, Fincher and Flynn’s Gone Girl was a lucrative one for Fox and New Regency, grossing $350 million worldwide on a $60 million budget.

The project will follow the track of an express train, despite Affleck’s busy schedule. He is clearing space to shoot Strangers between directing and starring in the Dennis Lehane novel adaptation Live By Night in the spring, and starring in Justice League in 2016. Fincher has his own projects at HBO that will keep him busy in the interim. Affleck will next be seen in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.

UPDATED: As is typical for a David Fincher project, everything surrounding his half-hour HBO lailcomedy Living On Video is being shrouded in secrecy. No one is commenting, but I hear Jason Flemyng (The Missing) is set and Kerry Condon (HBO’s Luck) and Elizabeth Lail (Once Upon A Time) are in talks for roles in the project, which I hear will be filming two episodes in lieu of a pilot, with Fincher directing. I hear among other actors who are under consideration is Thomas Mann (Project X)

Fincher is revisiting his music video director past with the comedy, written by Rich Wilkes (xXx) and Bob Stevenson, a friend of Fincher’s from his music video days, based on an idea by Fincher.

Set in 1983 Los Angeles, Living On Video centers on Robby, a wide-eyed guy who drops out of college and drives to Hollywood with dreams of directing a sci-fi epic. He lands a job as a PA for a company making music videos. In the vein of HBO’s Entourage, the series revolves around the players of the then-exploding music video industry — directors, record executives and crew members, many of them dabbling in drugs — through the eyes of the newcomer.

Flemyng is expected to play Theo, a hard-living music video producer. Condon is eyed for Marcy, an angry record executive overseeing music videos. Lail, who just played Frozen‘s Princess Anna on Once, would play wide-eyed stylist and singer-wannabe Ashley who works on music video productions. Mann is only been looked at at this point. I hear he is being considered for the lead Robby or his roommate Clem who introduces Robby to the video music world.

Among the memorable ’80s music videos Fincher directed before segueing to features was Madonna’s “Express Yourself.”

Thomas is with Innovative and Industry; Condon is with ICM Partners, Curtis Brown and Framework; Lail is with ICM Partners and Authentic; Flemyng is with Paradigm.

HBO Orders David Fincher's 1980s Set Music Video Comedy ' Video Synchronicity' To Seriesvia The Playlist

HBO has given a series order to "Video Synchronicity." Fincher will be directing episodes of and executive producing the 1983-set half-hour comedy about the world of making music videos in the 1980s, a milieu he knows very well. In fact, the premise is not unlike Fincher's personal arc, following a college dropout who dreams of making a sci-fi epic but winds up shooting music videos instead. (One of Fincher's earliest gigs was working with ILM on "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return Of The Jedi," before moving into commercial and music video work which overlapped with his debut feature — "Alien 3").

And this thing is moving crazy fast. The cast has been set with Charlie Rowe in the lead role with Sam Page, Jason Flemyng, Kerry Condon, Elizabeth Lail, Corbin Bernsen and Paz Vega rounding out what's described as an "Entourage"-esque ensemble.

HBO hasn't set a debut date, but it's probably safe to say you'll see this in 2016.

HBO Halts Production On David Fincher Music-Video Comedy 'Videosyncrazy,' Series Might Not Be Moving Forwardvia The Playlist

Last month it was announced that HBO had ordered the show to series, and production started, but now about midway through, it looks like there's a troubled future for the show which may mean it will never make it to air.

The show stars Charlie Rowe, Sam Page, Jason Flemyng, Kerry Condon, Elizabeth Lail, Corbin Bernsen and Paz Vega, with the 1983-set half-hour comedy following a college dropout who dreams of making a sci-fi epic but winds up shooting music videos instead. Fincher has been directing multiple episodes of the show, and production was on the fourth or fifth episode (damn, he works fast), but when HBO saw some of the completed work, the decision was made to press pause.

The future of the show is currently up in the air. Deadline is hearing that cast members were told "Videosyncrazy" was not going ahead, but also say that Fincher is asking for time to adjust the scripts and creative direction. But it's a pretty long way to come — almost halfway through a season's worth of shooting — to shift gears. Hopefully, there can be a fix that will make everyone happy and this can move on, but if not, Fincher also has "Utopia" and '50s noir series "Shakedown" in development at the network.

David Fincher’s ‘Utopia’ With Rooney Mara Is Dead At HBO, ‘Videosynchrazy’ Might Be DOA Toovia The Playlist

Not even 24 hours after we heard no miracle was reached for David Fincher’s thriller series “Utopia” at HBO and we tried to dig around a little more, Deadline has the scoop: “Utopia” is dead. Written by Fincher’s “Gone Girl” collaborator Gillian Flynn, “Utopia” ran into trouble a few weeks ago when Fincher and HBO clashed over budgets on the show. Fincher wanted north of $100 million for the first season and in comparison, Netflix’s budget for the first three seasons of “House Of Cards” was also $100 million. But Fincher doesn’t do anything on the cheap and won’t get out of bed for a pretty pay day either (see “Steve Jobs” which Sony balked at at the time because of his $10 million asking price).

Things were already looking grim and the writing was on the wall for “Utopia” last week as the cast were released from their contract including lead star Rooney Mara who had lead Fincher’s “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.” But budget conversations have crumbled and both parties have walked away. Deadline has revealed the rest of the show’s cast which included on top of Mara, Colm Feore, Eric McCormack, Dallas Roberts, Jason Ritter, Brandon Scott and Agyness Deyn. And the cast had apparently been rehearsing for a month, so perhaps the production originally had faith that the budget issues would be resolved. HBO owns the rights to “Utopia” so Fincher cannot shop it elsewhere, but apparently the cable honchos may try and go forward with another director.

What Deadline’s story doesn’t include and we’ve heard; despite shutting down to retool Fincher’s ‘80s music video show “Videosynchrazy,” whose production was halted for additional script work, that show is dead too. It’s unclear if after “Utopia” negotiations fell through, Fincher pulled the plug on all his HBO projects.

“Utopia” centered on a group of people who get their hands on a cult graphic novel called "The Utopia Experiments," which has predicted no shortage of disasters. An organization known only as The Network hunts them down, as the group tries to prevent the next disaster foretold in the pages of the manuscript from happening.

Fincher seemed set to pivot into TV and in doing so had no active film projects in development, but he may have to go back to the drawing board in terms of his near future plans, but he still has a Netflix show with Charlize Theron somewhere in development so maybe there’s hope for that.

I think he's doing pretty well movie-wise. WWZ2 is a bit of a surprise but I'm very interested in seeing what he does with it.

TGwtDT wasn't top tier Fincher but it was pretty thrilling and stylish as hell. GG is actually top tier Fincher, supermarket bestseller or not, he did a great job with it. It's absurd, dark, oddly humourous and challenging- it seems pretty ideal for him.He's a master craftsman- he can take pulpy thriller stuff and make it hugely enjoyable, he's been doing it for most of his career.